Description
The book
This is limited edition of 100 copies only and these all come signed by the artist Salma Arastu
This hardbound book is 10″/10″ with 96 Full color pages.
The paintings are inspired from the Verses of the Quran which reinforce the scientific concept of the ‘chain of life’ the concept that each species depends on another and this connection between nature and humanity brings joy forever.
The translations and descriptions in simple all inclusive language are contributed by Dr. Basma Abdelgafar.
The book is signed and dated by the artist Salma Arastu
10% from the sales go to The Nature Conservancy
Praise
The Quran tells us that everywhere we turn is the face of God. It also tells us that we are surrounded by the signs (ayat) of God which are evident in nature if only we could recognize or “read” them. In Our Earth: Embracing All Communities, Salma Arastu, through her exquisite visual representations of Quranic verses, vividly reminds us of the powerful message that lies at the heart of the Islamic scripture: the divine is manifest in nature. As such, we humans need to learn from it, be respectful of it and be mindful of our obligations as its trustees.
Ali Asani, Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures, Harvard University
Our Earth: Embracing All Communities is a unique eco art book that offers guidance on living ecologically through vibrant paintings. Salma Arastu brilliantly combines transparent layers of color, penetrating textures, and pen and ink drawings to create luminous paintings that illustrate stories from the Quran of the earth and all living communities.
Daniel Nevers, Executive Director, Berkeley Art Center
I have followed Salma’s work for a long time and have always been impressed with her sincerity, passion and understanding of the dire earth crises, and how to address it with beautiful, thoughtful, and inspiring work. She is a very gifted eco artist, combining science with art; I am grateful for her thoughtful work. I highly recommend adding this book to your collection of EcoArt works.
Andrée Thompson, Founder and Instructor of EcoArt Matters, Laney College and WEAD Board member.
Arastu’s stunning artwork expresses the reception of the Qur’anic message and its profound effects on the hearts, minds, and actions of Muslim believers. The beautiful images from her paintings inspire deep reflection and appreciation of humans’ responsibility as participants in, and stewards of, Creation.
Dr. Anna M. Gade, Ph.D., Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Author, Muslim Environmentalisms: Religious and Social Foundations (Columbia University Press, 2019)
Although religion and science have often been historically at odds, artist Salma Arastu manages to put her finger on the place where they converge, re-affirming the need to preserve the delicate balance of our fragile biosphere through careful stewardship. The pairings between the artist’s lushly colored, delicate drawings of nature with verses from the Quran serve as a prescient reminder that, when it comes to the Climate Crisis, there is very little daylight between what science tells us and what we learn from Faith:
Sam Pelts, Organizer for Extraction: Art on the Edge of the Abyss
I am impressed by the richness of her fluid palette – the dark pinks and deep greens, the bright yellows, and light browns, which remind me of her original homeland in Rajasthan, India, where she was born. Arastu’s painterly allusions to the Qur’an – whether by Arabic script or figural imagery, her persistent and her passionate dedication, reminding us all the idealistic vision and signal importance of coming to know one another, seeking Oneness.
Carol Bier, Research Scholar, Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California
Paramount in her life and her art is her faith in the unity of an all-embracing divinity and universal human values. Working with many layers of thin paint, her brush produces fluid shapes of joyful dancers set against abstract patterns.
Late Dr. Peter Selz
Art Historian and former curator of Museum of Modern Art and founder of Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley.
